GIR Store; Studio Autori│BIG SEE Awards 2018

GIR Store is a furniture showroom located in New Belgrade and opened by one of the largest exporters of solid wood furniture in the region of former Yugoslavia, GIR factory from Kraljevo. The factory’s brief was to create a space in which you can buy furniture made in the factory and learn more about the process of creating solid wood furniture and pairing it with other manufacturer’s complementary designs.

The biggest source of inspiration was the factory and mobile elements and tools which workers use in their work daily. Studio Autori transposed these elements into the interior through objects made of solid oak and steel, specially designed for the needs of the showroom.

Simplified spatial planning with a neutral colour palette puts focus on wood furniture. The entrance area with double storey height of six meters is the Experience point zone where you learn about the entire cycle, from forestation to the last wood derivative. Curtains provide an easy change of the atmosphere, from closed and focused on specific elements to viable and open atmosphere that connects all other elements of the store. Visitors in this part of the showroom acquire a unique experience that helps them in analysing designs that await them in other areas of the salon. This is where you encounter wood in various forms.

The presence of plants in all zones is another connection with nature. Shadows of trees and indoor plants carry a familiar atmosphere you can easily relate to. Floor covering throughout the salon is bright terrazzo with a discreet stone granulation which again puts the colours of solid wood furniture in focus.

The ground floor and the gallery of this 350 m2 space are connected with the main sculptural element, the white spiral staircase. Curtains as ambient barriers are repeated throughout the ground floor and gallery, and separate zones. GIR furniture is displayed alongside Ethnicraft and Universo Positivo, two Belgian brands which are also produced in the factory in Kraljevo. The studio chose pieces of the so-called “satellite” brands to complete the ambient. Art and design by local authors occupy a special place in the showroom.

All this creates a meeting place for creative forces of Serbia and the region which has networking, rich programme and high frequency of different designs for a goal.